Pianissimo attachment.



'M1 ROTHPELD.

PIANISSIMO ATTACHMENT.

APPLIGATION FILED s121112, 1911.

Patented NOV. 5, 1912.

z SHEETS-SHEET 1.

' Wim/55555 M. ROTHFBLD. PIANISSIMO ATTACHMENT.

APPLIATION FILED SEPT. l2, 1911.

1,043,145. 'Patented Nm, 191.2.4

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

, pianos.

raras rainr crnica.

-,MAX ROTHFELD'; or PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

PIANISSIMO ATTACHMENT.

To au whom t mai/concern: I' u vBe it known that I, MAX ROTHFELD, ,a

subject of. the Emperor ofAustria-Hungary, residing at Philadelphia, inthe county of' Philadelphia and State of 'PennsylvaniaY,y .have invented certain new and useful Lmprovements in Pianissimo Attachments, of which the ollowlng'isa specification.

This invention relates topianissimo atetachments and piano actions used in player One of the `objects of the invent-ion is to provide a pneumatic means whereby the softpedal attachment to the hammer rest rail may be controlled by the operator from the front of the piano, preferably from the Another object ofthe invention is to .pro-v vide an 4improved pneumatic for a piano action. y

Withthe aboveand other objectsin vie'w' Y the invention consists- 1n general of certain vnovel arrangements of detalls and combmai tions ofpart-s as will be hereinafter vfully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and specifically claimed.

In the accompanying drawings .Figure :1

isfa 'transverse sectionv through a player lpianoshowingthe parts in operative posi-A 'tionI the hammers being shown -away from the springs. Figi 2 is Aasimilar view show4 ing the parts in o erative position:vr Fig. 3

is alplan View s owing a. portion of the;

vacuum'. boX and thepneumatics attached tailfsectiohs through the several-parts which Q valvejchamber illustrated in Fig, 4. Figxll thereto and in connection with the piano tionthrough the hammer rest rail. actuatingpneumaticsit being ,understood that the striking pneumatics are-similar to the'power pneumaticsof'thisigure Eig. 5 is a plan View thereof. Figs-6, 7,48, and 9, are deare provided .to make the vacuum trunk.

is a rearele'vation showingthe connection of the bellowswith thepianissimo device.-

- in describing Figs'. i and parts will be describedl as have .to do directly v2 only such with the present invention andthose parts l such. Aas the pumping mechanism and the like which are common/to a1l player pianos will-not 'be -descrbedas the 4same forms no part oli-the present intention'.

' .In thepresent invention the'piano-is projvided with the usuall casing 20, tracker Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1912.

Application filed September 12,v 1911. Serial No. 648,921.

` board 21, keys 22, key slip 23,.,hamme12mechanism indicated in general at 24:, and the hammer rest rail consisting of a ixed member 25 and a movable member 26, the Xed andmovable members being hinged together at their upper edges. It will, of course, be obvious that the movable member may consist of one or more sections according as it is desired to have a pianissimo effect on either lthe bass or treble, or any other manner ofl obtaining a local pianissimo eeet.

These l parts are all of the common and ordinary construction and the hammer mechanisms are connected to the keys in any of the ordinary manners. v

, Coming now to thedescription of the ,improved operating mechanism. Beneath the key board there is provided a vacuum box 27 wherein ajpartial vacuum is Droduced by means of a suitable exhausting mechanism 28 yin communication therewith by one or more ducts 29. Secured to `this vacuum'v trunk 27 are a number of p neumati'cs ipdicated in general in Figs. 1 and 2, atlBO, and hereinafter specifically described. Each ofthese pneumatics is connectedfwith a proper key by means ot a lift rod` 3l. The pneumatics are connectedwith thekcys in such position that they lift the rearend of the keys and cause the hammer` action to operate exactly as though a finger waspressed upon the front end of the respective key. .From these pneumatics the usual ducts 32 lead to the It is to 'be understooclvtracker board 2l". that the pneumatics are of -a type providedwith an air cell as willbe hereinafter set forth andfthat these ducts 32lead to the 'air cells vot respective pneumatic-s. The variouskeys are removable asthe lift rod S31. is-notl attached to-the keys but' abuts against the same. 'In the present instance the pianissimo attachment hasbeen shown as 'being provided with one pneumatic 33 but onle, two; or three may be used according tothe divisionofthe piano. The pneumatic .33 is of like construction to thc others, and from this pneumatic ducts 34 leading to the exhaust :mechanism 28 extend while from the cell of each: oflthese pneumatics a duct '35 leads beneath the keys and opens out on the upper edge of the keyl .slip 23. The pneumatic 33 is connected to the movable 'member 26 of the hammer rest rail by means o'a rod 36 so'that as this pneumatic is operated the movable section 26 will be los Venting the hammer' fromhaving thefull stroke as would readily be seen by reference to Fig. 42. ln this manner by operating'the pneumatic each hammer is given a short" g-lo mers while the other' division includes the r remaining half. Thus the division. to the right may'include the treble of the piano gwhiIe the division tothev left includes the .nbassso that it is possible by'. opening the appropriate duct to-cause eitherthe bass Lor. i, treble pneumatic vto operate and thus A ,'produce the pianissimo .elect on the similar keys.

Inorder to -control the-openings -to .the

i120 ducts 35the operator simply places the tips l kofhis fingers on these openings. and so long as Vhe retains his fingers over the holes the v'pneumatics will be inoperative. When,

'i however,. he removes one-or lmore of his 25 -ingersthe corresponding pneumat1cs will 'be operated in' a-manner`precisely similar .tothat which takes' place when an opening in the music roll comes opposite the mouth of one ofl the ducts in the tracker board,

' 80 this operation -being too well-known to need furtherlexplanation in detail.

Considering now the particular pneu- 10 there are shown the different portions '85 of a pneumatic arranged forsingle operation wherein the vacuum trunk is that'for a single pneumatic and may rather be termed a vacuum cell. It is obvious from e what follows that a .number of these pneu- 40 matics may beconnected side by side for the piano action so that they form a' long trunk. Each of these pneumatics includes an upper .member 37. a lower member 38, a rear 'mem- 4 ber 39, and an end member 40. The upper member 37 is provided with a flange 4l `which forms the frontwall ot a vacuum cell 42 when the members are assembled as clearly shown in Fig. 4. Inthe upper member 37 is formed a valve chest 43 and it will be understood that where more than one pneumatic is included in the same vacuum trunk in connection with the pianissimo attachment, the number of the valve chests 43 will equal in number' the number of pneumatics to be controlled thereby. This valve chest opens outwardly into the atmosphere und the outer end is closed by means of aplnte= fl4lAvhich is provided with a pin 45 extending iuu-'ardlv' in; the valve chest.

` '-this pin are ylormed openings 46 'se openings 1u e'itli'er be in the irctxlarholes', as sliownjn Fig'. ate .slots as inlig. l0. The valve J provided with an opening which communicates with the vacuum chamber 42.

swung inwardliygfand upwardly, thus prelVithin the Valve chest 43 is movable a valve 47 provided with a centrally disposed opening 48 slidable upon the pin 45, the lower end of the opening 48 being closed by means of a stem 49 screwed therein and provided with a head 50.' Immediately below the head 50 is an air cell 51 formed in the lower member 38 and this air cell communicates with the tracker board or like air controlling'device by means of a duct 52 and a lpipe -53 leading therefrom. Leading from the air cell to the vacuum box 42 is a small bleeder 54 and the air cell is closed at its upperend by means ot a flexible diaphragm From the vacuum chamber 42 there extends a duct 56 which communicates with suitable exhaust apparatus of any desired description. The upper member 4lA is provided with a rearwardly extending portion 57 through which passes a duct 58 which opens downwardly as -at at the rear end of theextension 57. The underside of this extension is beveled rearwardly and upwardly', as shown at 60, and to this beveled portionr is attached the bellows ot' the pneumatics. This bellows is provided with a top member 6l, front member 62, side member 6 3, and rearmember 64. The front member 62 is of greater height than the rear member 64 and the lower edges of the side member slant from the lower edges ot' these parts so that there is formed a box which conlower member has its sides and rear edges connected to the sides and` rear of the box by means of flexible cloth or the like as indicated at 66. A

In the operation of this pneumatic, let it be supposed that a vacuum is being maintained in the vacuum chamber 42 andthat the duct 58 is closed, either by the music roll or by the finger of a person. Then by reason of the fact that the air pressure on both sides of the diaphragm 55 is equal7 its equality being maintained by the bleeder 54., the valve 47 will close the opening` 46 and the opening 49 will be in con'ununication with the bellows through the duct This will allow the bellows to open. Now, let it be supposed that the duct 53 be opened to the atmosphere. Immediately the pressure on the lower sidev of the diaphragm will be greater than the pressure on the upper side thereof, and by reason of the 'fact that the opening 46 is of less area than the cell. 4 2,

the diaphragm will move upwardly and carry the valve 47 with it so that the duct 58 will be placed in communication with a vacuum chamber 42 through the opening 46.

The air will be exhausted from the bellows and the bottom member 65 will close' up. Now, when the duct is closed ress ure on both sides of the diaphragm wil again be equalized andthe parts will assume'the position previously described since there is no possibility of the.1ower member 65 of ythe bellows sticking to theixed .member on account of the fact that contact takes place t only alonfir the edgesi In this manner one of the principal defects, that is' to say the sticking of the bellows, in player pianos,

has been eliminated and the improved form of pneumatics provided.

There has .thus beenprovided- `a simple and eificient device of the'kind described, fand'for thepurpose speciied.

It will be obvious that the device may v.be used upon any upright piano and also 'with any .piano which is provided with a Y pi anissimo attachment. .the hammers are divided into one, two, or

Of course, where three groups the number of pneumatics will have to be arranged to suit the number of divisions, one being used to each division. .Only'one pneumatic is used to control each *divisionr in connection with the pianissimo attachment, while one pneumatic is used for each key inc'onnection/with thepiano act-ion. Having thus'described the invention, what is claimed as new, is;

In a device ofthe kind described, a plurality of hammers, a hammer rest rail against which said hammers Anormally lie, said hammer rest rail havinghinged secsecond cell, a flexible diaphragmextending 'over theseoond cell, a valve stem resting on said diaphragm, a bellows comprising a vrigid ybox having sides of greater height at one end than at the other, and a rigid top hinged to the higher edge of saidboX, and

member,4 said pneumatics being further provided with ducts leading from. the valve controlledcells to said bellows, and other ducts-leading'from beneath said diaphragm,`

a tracker board, and tubes connecting the hammer actuating pneumatici; with said;

tracker board. A

Y In testimony whereof I aiiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

MAX ROTHFELD.

Witnesses:

GEORGE T. CREEK, L. H. MARTIN.

Ccp'ies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.' C. i

connected to the remainder by ya flexible 

